iFanboy Video Podcast

iFanboy – Episode #51: “Custer”

Show Notes

Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon collaborated on the legendary Vertigo series, Preacher, a comic book unlike any that came before. But is it worth your time? Josh, Ron, and Conor spend a good, long while discussing the epic tale of a man on a mission to find God, and iFanboy will let you know if it lives up to all the hype.

You’d be hard pressed to find another book like Ennis and Dillon’s Preacher. There’s literally nothing like it before or since. But at the heart of all that, are we just looking at an old fashioned western, or is it some new synthesis of graphic fiction. Along with Sandman, there’s hardly been a series from Vertigo to generate so much buzz and love among people who wouldn’t normally pick of a comic book. This episode tries to solve the strange alchemy making up this most excellent comic book series.

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One thing you guys barely touched in the show was just how similar Preacher is to the Da Vinci code. If Preacher becomes and HBO show, how Ennis treats the descendants of Christ will be very controversial. Religious shows like the 700 Club and probably the mainstream media are going to love condemning this as blasphemous.

They got pissed at the Chronicles of Narnia, Harry Potter and the Golden Compass for Christ

The first trade is quite good, but it’s in the second trade where it becomes great.

Most certainly. Angelville is probably the best arc I’ve ever read in any comic – can’t imagine reading that on a monthly basis. I would have gone nuts. Not that things went downhill after the second trade – there were some missteps along the way, but everything about the series was top notch.

If you haven’t read it, give it a try – actually, it’d probably be OK to start on that second trade – if it doesn’t get it’s hooks into you, then it’s just not your cup of tea.

I read the entire series one weekend in 2001 while staying at a friend’s house. It was a marathon reading session that took all of Saturday and went into Sunday morning. As soon as my student loan came in the next semester I was online getting my own damn copies. I’ve read it three or four times since and, coincidentally, had just started rereading it last week without knowing it was an upcoming episode.

Gotta disagree on the covers. The Fabry covers are fantastic and well worth the price for a separate book (I picked up the hardcover, even). Yes, they can be a bit overworked (over rendered muscles or too many creases on certain faces) but they set a mood for each book that carries over into the story. I have the original-dress trades and the covers featured on Salvation and Until the End of the World are just perfect. Moreover, they complement Dillon’s interiors in that Fabry gives us an alternate view of what the characters should/could look like. When the Dillon characters start to look the same (and as much as I like the guy, it’s his big weak point) I go back to a cover and remind myself that Jesse is a good-looking, Johnny Depp type, or that Starr is (or was) a mean looking motherfucker (at first). They’re as essential as the Bradstreet Hellblazer and Punisher covers, I’d say.

Hey guys, new listener here, awesome episode! I’m sceptical as to whether or not this will be suitable.

I turn 15 on Friday and I’m hoping to pick up a heap of comics next time I’m in Forbidden Planet. I got the impression that it was pretty explicit. Would you say it’s suitable? From the episode I gathered that there is swearing (I hear that every day, not a problem with parents) and sex scenes/nudity in there. That’s not too bad, but does it get much worse?

There are certainly worse things out there (anyone read that last issue of Brawl? WTF?). It’s not obscene by any stretch of the imagination. If you can handle your average high-action R-rated movie, you should be OK with this.

Well, I got some good news. Anything with “sex” in the description, my Mum would dismiss it straight away. But on the amazon.co.uk description, it states “Explicit violence and black humour”. So to cut a long(ish) story short, volume 1 has been ordered!

I love listening to you guys, and I especially enjoyed hearing you talk about my all-time favorite series. One thing, though; you guys should try not to interrupt each other so much. It’s very distracting and it seems like a lot of good ideas get forgotten before they are ever finished.

Ok, the first trade hasn’t arrived yet but I’ve ordered the second one as well. From what you guys are saying about it really getting going in the second one (and you’ve never let me down so far) it’s worth gambling seven quid on.

I remember hearing that one of the trades doesn’t really have a basis on the story, and can be read out of context. It isn’t the 4th one, is it? I started reading it, bought the first 3 and am getting a few more this week, but my comic shop doesn’t carry the 4th trade…

The first trade arrived today and I just finished it… Holy crap! That was great! If it only gets better from here on out I think I’m in for a treat!

Is it me or is Cassidy possibly the coolest character in comics? Okay, I’m overstating because I’m still on a buzz from reading it, but he’s up there with the coolest, surely?… He’s also something of a Josh lookalike (with the right shades you’ve got this year’s Halloween sorted, buddy).

Oh shit! There is a Preacher show!! Why didn’t I notice that before? I’m actually about to finish volume eight today!! I’m definitely gonna check this show out. Then finish Preacher. Then I might check out another Punisher MAX trade. Then hopefully Astro City volume one will pop up, just ordered one on Ebay. I need to start reading The Boys after that. And of course, there’s always Batman. I’m ramblin cuz I just smoked sum…